Philemon 1 · The Lantern

Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy my brother,—unto Philemon the beloved, and a fellow worker of ours,

Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime....Of Colossæ, Philemon. Of Borea in Macedonia, Onesimus, once the servant of Philemon. (7.4)

Paul has not used "prisoner of Jesus Christ" in any other epistle as a part of his name, though he has used it in Ephesians and in Philippians as a form of proclamation. Thus, I think it of more importance that he says he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ than an apostle. Indeed, the apostles gloried that they were worthy to suffer abuse for the name of Jesus Christ.

'If you have a faithful servant, let him be to you as your own soul' (Sirach 33:31). The wise man shows three things concerning master and slave, namely, what is required on the side of the servant; what ought to be the feeling of the master towards the servant; and what is the use of the servant.

And unto Apphia our sister. And unto Archippus our fellow-soldier, and unto the assembly which meeteth, at thy house:

Favour unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and Lord Jesus Christ.

I am giving thanks unto my God—always, making mention, of thee, in my prayers,

He does not immediately at the commencement ask the favor, but having first admired the man, and having praised him for his good actions, and having shown no small proof of his love, that he always made mention of him in his prayers, and having said that many are refreshed by him, and that he is obedient and complying in all things; then he puts it last of all, by this particul…

If ever "I" make "mention of you", I always do, "I give thanks to God" for you. Why? "Hearing of your love and faith", he says. Do you see that he does not immediately seek favor from the beginning? "hearing of your love". which, if it were not great, would by no means be heard from Phrygia all the way to Rome.

Then when he says, I give thanks to my God, the burden of the letter begins. First, he gives thanks; then he makes his plea, For this reason...; finally, he concludes, For I had great joy... Again, first he expresses thanks; second he gives the reason for his gratitude: as I hear of your charity...; third, the reason why he thanks God: For I had great joy and consolation...

Hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus and towards all the saints,—

"Hearing," he says, "of thy love." This is wonderful, and much greater than if being present he had seen it when he was present. For it is plain that from its being excessive it had become manifest, and had reached even to Paul. And yet the distance between Rome and Phrygia was not small. For he seems to have been there from the mention of Archippus.

Here he praises him for his goodness. From Phrygia it would not have been heard in Rome about his love and faith, if it had not been great. Since you love all the saints, that is, the faithful, you should also love Onesimus, for he too is now a believer — so that through this you may show yourself as one who loves the Lord as well.

Stating the matter of his giving thanks and of his prayer, he shows what he asks when he prays for them. The matter of this was the needs and goods of Philemon, namely, both charity and faith. For without charity nothing avails and through it all things are had.

To the end that, the fellowship of thy faith, may become, energetic, by a personal knowledge of every good thing that is in us towards Christ;

I pray, he says, "that the communication of thy faith may become effectual in the knowledge of every good thing which is in Christ Jesus." Dost thou see him first giving, before he receives, and before he asks a favor himself bestowing a much greater one of his own?

"that the fellowship of your faith". It unites him to himself, just as if he said: Fellowship of faith is that which makes one and common. But why do you give thanks to God? So "that the" "fellowship of your faith", he says, "may become effective". But how will it be effective? If it proceeds to every work of virtue. Blessed Paul interprets himself.

May the sharing of your faith... This is shared in two ways. In one way, that it might be a sign. Be made evident in full knowledge... That is, so great is your charity, that the sharing of your faith... I give thanks... always making remembrance... That he might show what he seeks for him in praying. And the sharing of the faith can be understood in two ways.

For, much joy, have I had, and encouragement, by occasion of thy love, in that, the tender affections of the saints, have had rest given them by thee, brother.

It is evident that he expresses himself as being joyful because he was ministering to the needs of the saints: from which he rejoices even more, being certain that he was obeying his commands, whom he knows to be superior.

"we have great joy". Not only, Paul says, did we rejoice, but such was the pleasure that it even brought us comfort while in bonds. "because the hearts of the saints". See! He wishes to say: If you grant favors to others, much more grant them to me; thus he does not say; but otherwise more skillfully.

The reason he gives thanks is joy. And he says, For I had great joy and consolation... 3 John 4: 'I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.' For this joy alleviates anxiety. That is why he adds consolation.

Wherefore, though I have, much, freedom of speech, in Christ, to be enjoining upon thee that which is befitting,

I do not issue orders to you, as if I were some great person. For though I am bound for the name [of Christ], I am not yet perfect in Jesus Christ. For now I begin to be a disciple, and I speak to you as fellow-disciples with me. For it was needful for me to have been stirred up by you in faith, exhortation, patience, and long-suffering.

I am writing to you because of the confidence I have in Christ Jesus, commanding you to do what is proper for the sake of love. I urge you even more, as one such as Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

Then when he says For this reason, he makes his plea. And first he states the confidence with which he asks; second, the petition itself, I plead with you...; third, his reason, Perhaps, indeed...

Yet, for loves sake, I rather exhort,—being, such a one, as Paul the aged, now, also, even a prisoner of Christ Jesus,—

I exhort thee concerning my own child, whom I have begotten in my bonds,—Onesimus:

Him who, at one time, was, unto thee, unserviceable, but, now, unto thee and unto me, serviceable;

All bound slaves who flee to religious communities for refuge should be admonished and sent back to their masters in better dispositions, after the example of St. Paul who, although he had begotten Onesimus through the gospel, sent him back to Philemon.

Who, although he was once useless to his master (for a slave who steals and runs away harms no one but his own master), now on the contrary, by way of compensation for his usefulness to both his master and Paul, and to others through Paul, he deserves more love than he had previously deserved hatred.

Second, there is the change in status. For if he had persevered in sin, he would not be worthy of leniency. Note that Paul says little and means much. For as Cicero taught, one ought to make little of one's own deed as much as possible.

Whom I have sent back unto thee—him, that is, my own, tender affections!—

By this also he has quenched his anger, by delivering him up. For masters are then most enraged, when they are entreated for the absent, so that by this very act he mollified him the more. "Thou therefore receive him, that is mine own bowels." And again he has not given the bare name, but uses with it a word that might move him, which is more affectionate than son.

"whom I have sent back". To hand Onesimus over to the master, rather extinguished his anger. "to receive him as my very heart". What do I mean by "receive him"? Receiving this one, you will receive my own very "heart". Thus he says, I love him as one calls him his own "heart". And "receive" means to accept with love.

Then when he says, I am sending him back to you, he makes his request. First, he makes it, then he answers a question: I had wanted to keep him here. And so he says, and do you welcome him as though he were my very heart. And this because I have seen him changed, the sign of which is, I send him back to you.

Whom, I, was minded, with myself, to detain, that, in thy behalf, unto me, he might be ministering in the bonds of the joyful message;

Dost thou see after how much previous preparation, he has at length brought him honorably before his master, and observe with how much wisdom he has done this. See for how much he makes him answerable, and how much he honors the other. Thou hast found, he says, a way by which thou mayest through him repay thy service to me.

"so that he might serve me in the chains of the gospel on your behalf". Do you see that Paul has brought the master to the very place, little by little? For he says that "he serves me on your behalf". Here he shows that he wishes what is more advantageous for the master. For if you say that you ought to serve, and he does this instead of you, the benefit is yours.

And he responds to a question, because it might be said if he is useful to you, why do you not keep him unto death? And he gives the reason for sending him back. First, he considers why he might keep him; second, why he rejects that idea: but I did not want to do anything without your counsel.

But, apart from thy mind, I wished to do, nothing, that, not as by necessity, thy goodness should be, but, by choice.

God does not tyrannize but rules, and when he rules, he does not coerce but encourages and he wishes that those under him yield themselves willingly to his direction so that the good of someone may not be according to compulsion but according to his free will.

And addressing himself to Philemon, Paul says: "that your kindness may not be as it were of necessity, but voluntary." … Now wherever there is the express statement not to do this or that, and whenever the performance of the will is required to do or refrain from some action, in keeping with God's commandments, that is sufficient proof of the free choice of the will.

The reason he rejected the idea was that he did not want to use another's property without the owner's knowledge. Hence, but I did not want to do anything... As if he said: if I should keep him, it would please you who do not wish to resist but it would be a kind of force. But I did not want that, indeed I wanted it to come about voluntarily.

For, peradventure, for this cause, was he separated for an hour, that, as an age-abiding possession, thou mightest have him back,—

No longer as a servant, but above a servant—a brother beloved, very greatly to me, but, how much rather, to thee—both in the flesh and in the Lord!

Onesimus, having offended his own master, fled on a long journey to the Apostle; to show that he did not depart for the purpose of being guilty of a crime, but so that, with sins forgiven, he might return useful to such an extent that he would not only become equal to his master in merits, but also a brother to the master himself.

Much, he says, benefit the flight brought: instead of one hour, you have him forever. For even the whole life of a man, in comparison with eternity, is nothing; much more so the time of flight.

And he says instead of a slave, that is, in place of a slave. Matthew 23:8: 'For one is your master and all are your brothers.' And not only yours, but mine in comparison to God, though he is a son to the ministry. How much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. This can be expounded in two ways.

If, therefore, thou holdest me as one in thy fellowship, take him unto thee, as myself;

So if you consider me as a partner, receive him as you would receive me. He shows such concern for Onesimus that he says Philemon, whom he praises above, should consider him as his own companion if he welcomes him as he would welcome an apostle. This is what Solomon said: A wise servant will have free people serving him (Eccles. 10:28).

Paul argues that what he desires of Philemon is consistent with the shared faith and shared condition of believers. The injunction to receive Onesimus as if he were Paul does not mean Philemon should receive him as an apostle but "as you would personally receive me."

Therefore, he says, If, therefore, you count me as a partner, welcome him. 1 John 1:7: 'But if we walk in the light as he also is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.' And he says as you would me because he is linked with me. Matthew 10:40: 'Who receives you, receives me.'

And, if he hath wronged thee at all or oweth thee aught, the same, unto me, do thou reckon:—

If, however, something has hurt you, or he is a debtor, impute this to me. Now he undermines the excuse of anger, lest perhaps he would complain that he was hurt by him in such a way that it would not seem fitting to forgive him.

"And if he has wronged you". Paul did not say, "He stole," but the verb is cut short. He says he "wronged" "or owes". "charge that to me". For it was likely that they themselves had consumed together the things that had been stolen, and Paul says, "charge this to me," that is, charge these things as a debt to me, let the obligation be held against me. "I, Paul, write".

Second, he offers to make good any injury to Philemon, saying, And if he did you any injury or owes you anything, namely by leaving his service, charge it to me. As if to say, I will make satisfaction. Galatians 6:2: 'Bear one another's burdens.' And more, because he first offers to make it good; second, he shows that Philemon is in his debt, not of necessity but of will.

I, Paul, have written [it] with, my own, hand,—I, will repay [it]; that I may not tell thee—that, thyself, unto me, thou still owest.

I, Paul, have written this with my own hand. I will repay it, not to mention that you owe me your very self." What he says is this: "Whatever Onesimus may have wronged you, I will repay. I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will not remind you that you owe me your very self. But I say this as speaking to a stranger.

He says this excellently, writing with spiritual grace and as if saying: for greater assurance that I will pay the debt, my own handwritten letter serves as guarantee.

Therefore he says, I, Paul, as if to say, that you might be certain of restitution. I write it with my own hand. And this not out of necessity, because you owe me your very self, because I snatched you from eternal death, and thus he should do this for his liberator. Tobias 9:2: 'If I should give myself to be your servant, I should not make a worthy return for your care.'

Yea! brother, I, would, from thee, have help, in the Lord: give rest unto my tender affections in Christ.

"Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, refresh my heart in Christ." That is, thou grantest the favor to the Lord, not to me. "My heart," that is, toward thyself.

"Yes, brother". Again, from what is pleasing it advances to what is serious. "Yes," he said, "brother." What? Accept it yourself. I will take advantage from you in things that are according to Christ. "May I enjoy". That is, I delight in your excellent works in the Lord. May I see you growing rich in all spiritual blessings. "refresh my heart".

And he adds, Yes, indeed, brother, may I too make use of you, as if to say, if you want me for a partner, take him back, and I will so use you, brother, that is, if you do it, you will fill my wishes with joy. For to make use is to use the fruit and thus it is to use for the useful, as I enjoy fruit.

Confident of thine obedience, I have written unto thee, knowing that, even beyond what I say, thou wilt do:—

Having confidence in your obedience, I have written to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. I am now being affectionate, so that his obedience may be voluntary, in order to bear fruit. For by doing so, he provokes him to do more than is demanded of him; it often happens that when one sees themselves being thought highly of, they present themselves as even better.

"confident". Paul said, "You do this not for me, but for Christ." "confident in your obedience". I did not write to you as one commanding or stubbornly dealing with you, but having confidence "in your obedience". Whom would these things not soften, even if he were made of iron? "knowing that you will also do more than I say".

Then when he says Trusting in your compliance, he provides a reason on the side of Philemon, and a commendation of his obedience. First he shows how he is confident in his obeying; second he adds to it something similar. Therefore he says, Trusting in your compliance.

At the same time, moreover, be also getting ready for me, a lodging; for I am hoping that, through your prayers, I shall be granted as a favour unto you.

To make him more anxious and obedient, it is indicated that he will come; for those who are absent are usually despised. And the reason why the Apostle does not consider himself unworthy to be here yet, who has always suffered weariness and dangers, murders, persecutions, and chains, and whose rest was only in Christ alone?

"prepare a lodging for me". Paul says that he did not write only because of Onesimus (for Philemon would have said, if not for himself, that I was not worthy of even a word), but also for this reason, he says, that you might "prepare a lodging for me".

Therefore he says, At the same time make ready a lodging for me too. For it was his custom when he was in Colossae to stay in his home. Chrysostom asks what we are to make of this remark in which a poor man commands a rich man by letter from across the expanse of the earth to prepare a lodging for him.

There salute thee—Epaphras my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus,

And he puts him to shame from another consideration, if his countryman is a fellow-prisoner with Paul and suffers affliction with him, and he himself does not grant him a favor in behalf of his own servant. And he has added, "my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus," instead of on account of Christ.

"Epaphras, my fellow prisoner". This man was sent from the Colossians to Paul, as it is clear that Philemon was from Colossae. He is called a fellow prisoner, indicating that he too was in great distress. Moreover, this also honors him; for Epaphras was indeed a fellow prisoner, whereas this one did not even show kindness to Onesimus, who was a prisoner for the Lord.

Then he ends his letter with a greeting, and first on the part of others, second on his own. He says, they send you greetings, and we read of them at the end of Colossians.

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke,—my fellow-workers.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you. Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, also send their greetings. They all send their greetings and testify to their share in his glory.

"Aristarchus, Demas". About this, Paul wrote to Timothy, "Demas abandoned me." (2 Tim. 4:10) [PHOTIUS] They say that this Demas again turned away to Hellenism and became a priest of idols. [end of the Photius excerpt] [OECUMENIUS] And if that was at first, now he has repented. But if later, after these things he became negligent. [end of the excerpt by Oecumenius] "Luke".

But this can be doubted since he mentions Demas. How can this be, since he said in 2 Timothy 4:10, 'For Demas has deserted me, loving this world'? How, then, can he use his name?

The favour of the Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit.

Philemon1